Continuous offset line casting arrangement

ABSTRACT

An arrangement of the vertical casting lines for a continuous casting system, wherein said casting lines in the ingot moulds are arranged offset to one another with the side casting lines moved back to a larger extent than the inner casting lines. By this arrangement of the casting lines, the tundishes have the tundish nozzles arranged according to a substantially curved line with the tundish wall facing the operators being equally spaced apart from the tundish nozzle axes as a close as possible to said tundish nozzles.

United States Patent Danieli [54] CONTINUOUS OFFSET LINE CASTING ARRANGEMENT [72] Inventor: Luigi Danieli, Buttrio (Udine), Italy [22] Filed: Sept. 23, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 74,588

153,676 10/1953 Australia ..164/82 51 Dec. 26, 1972 1,339,997 9/1963 France ..164/273 M 969,019 4/1958 Germany... 863,119 1/1953 Germany ..164/281 Primary Examiner-R. Spencer Annear Attorney-Jacobs & Jacobs [5 7] ABSTRACT An arrangement of the vertical casting lines for a continuous casting system, wherein said casting lines in the ingot moulds are arranged offset to one another with the side casting lines moved back to a larger extent than the inner casting lines. By this arrangement of the casting lines, the tundishes. have the tundish nozzles arranged according to a substantially curved line with the tundish wall facing the operators being equally spaced apart from the tundish nozzle axes as a close as possible to said tundish nozzles.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTi-iflumzs mm PRIOR ART INVENTOR L 6, BY

ATTORNEY In present continuous casting systems, the machines provided with three casting lines, or more, have these lines so arranged that the vertical axes of the ingot moulds are coplanar to one another. This arrangement involves the need of using tundishes having rectilinearly arranged nozzles. Such an aligned arrangement of the tundish nozzles is accomplished so that all the operators might equally visualize the ingot moulds which are aligned beneath the tundish nozzles; thus, the shape of the tundishes .is limited. At,present, tundishes are indeed of a substantially rectangular shape having the substantially smooth wall on the operators side.

The rectangular tundishes are disadvantageous because of the short life of the inner refractory material lining, which, when bearing on a flat surface and subjected to heat effect undergoes deformations (swellings) damaging said lining.

The object of thepresent invention is to-provide a novel arrangement for the casting axes in the ingot moulds enabling to make tundishes having walls of a substantially outward convex shape in order to reduce to a substantial extent, and in the case to eliminate the deformationson the insulating lining.

Another object of the invention is to provide tundishes for the novel arrangement of the casting lines.

The arrangement of the casting lines according to the present invention is characterized in that said casting lines, and the ingot mould axes as well, instead of being coplanar are offset, or are so arranged that the side lines are back set relative to the inner lines. Therefore, all the operators allotted to casting operation can perfectly control the liquid in the ingot moulds, thusavoiding any undesirable result due to bad view.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference will be had in the following to the appended drawing, wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 diagrammatically show a vertical view and a plan view, respectively, of the arrangement for the casting axes in a conventional continuous casting machine;

FIGS. 3 and 4 diagrammatically show a vertical view and a plan view, respectively, of the arrangement for the casting axes according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an elliptically shaped tundish; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a polygonally shaped tundish.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in a conventional continuous casting system the tundish 12, which is stationary with respect to the underlying ingot moulds (shown in phantom in the drawing) are ofa rectangular shape with the casting lines coincident with the axes of the tundish nozzles 10 which are substantially coplanar or aligned according to a straight line. In said FIGS. 1 and 2, at 13 there are also shown the corresponding paths as travelled by the cast bars along suitable roller ways in order to pass from a vertical casting'position to a discharge position.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, wherein four casting lines have been schematically shown, there will be seen that according to the inventionthe side tundish nozzles 11 for the tundish 12' have been back set inwardly of the tundish relative to the inner tundish nozzles 10,

generally, it will result from this that the-tundish nozzles, and the casting axes as well, are arranged as aligned according to a generally outward convex line.

As a result, also the ingot moulds (only one 'of which shown in phantom in FIG. 3) are similarly arranged.

As well known, in order to enable the operators to control the liquid level in the ingot moulds, the tundish nozzles have to be always kept at the same distance from the tundish wall on the operators side. Therefore, the novel arrangement for the casting lines enables to make a tundish, the wall of which facing the operators is similarly of a substantially curvilinear and outward convex shape.

This is better shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 of the appended drawings, showing two preferred forms of a tundish according to the invention.

More particularly, in FIG. 5 there is schematically shown an elliptical shape of tundish 14, whereas in FIG. 6 there is shown an octogonal shape of tundish 15. In both embodiments it will be seen that the tundish nozzles 10', 11 are arranged according a convex line, that is with the casting lines on parallel planes, and substantially close to the tundish wall on the operators side and the intermediate tundish nozzles closer to the operators.

The elliptical and octogonal, generally polygonal shapes of tundishes in FIGS. 5 and 6 are preferred embodiments, it being however understood that the tundish shape may be whatever shape, provided that it will meet the requirement that the tundish nozzles are equally spaced apart from the convex wall on the operators side and this in order to provide the best visualization for all of the ingot moulds.

The operation of such a continuous casting system is per se well known, however, for a better understanding, the operation thereof will be briefly stated below.

From the casting ladle (not shown) the molten steel is passed into the tundish 12' serving the function of distributing the molten steel through the proper tundish nozzles 10', 11 to the several ingot moulds.

As poured by the tundish nozzles 10', 11 into the underlying ingot moulds, shown in phantom in the drawing, the steel takes therein the form it is desired to cast and is cooled down to subsequently travel, at a solid state, a curvilinear roller way 13 which will carry it horizontally to the discharge.

What is claimed is:

1. In a continuous casting system having a tundish with at least three tundish nozzles and casting lines vertically depending from each tundish nozzle, the improvement which comprises arranging the casting lines along a substantially curved line, the tundish being elongated and having a tundish wall of substantially outward convex shape extending substantially longitudinally of the tundish with all of the tundish nozzles being arranged as close as possible to said tundish wall along a substantially curved line running substantially longitudinally of the tundish, the distance between each tundish nozzle axis and said tundish wall being equal, each casting line being directly connected to its respective tundish nozzle.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said tundish is of an elliptical shape.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said tundish is of a polygonal shape.

221g? UNiTED STATES PATENT @FFKCE QERTIFECATE @F QURRJEQTEQN Patent No. 3 7G7 183 Dated December 26 i972 Inventor(s) Luigi Qanieli It is certified that error appears in the aboyeddentified patent and that 5816- Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

r- In the bleeding of the Patent insert Claimslorio'rity from Italian application 22.952 A/ 69; q filed October 4, [1969 v Signed and seeledthi 22nd day of May 1973..

SEAL v Attestt v EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. In a continuous casting system having a tundish with at least three tundish nozzles and casting lines vertically depending from each tundish nozzle, the improvement which comprises arranging the casting lines along a substantially curved line, the tundish being elongated and having a tundish wall of substantially outward convex shape extending substantially longitudinally of the tundish with all of the tundish nozzles being arranged as close as possible to said tundish wall along a substantially curved line running substantially longitudinally of the tundish, the distance between each tundish nozzle axis and said tundish wall being equal, each casting line being directly connected to its respective tundish nozzle.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said tundish is of an elliptical shape.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said tundish is of a polygonal shape. 